Below are the items that make up a poem; not all items are in every poem.
Stanza- a grouped set of lines within a poem
Line- a single line of words in a poem
Rhyme- words that sound the same
Alliteration- use the same consonant or vowel
Personification- having human qualities
Metaphor- a comparison that doesn’t use like or as- not to be taken literally (the sun is smiling)
Simile- two unlike things are compared, “She is like a rose.”
To answer the writing, choose 3 elements that make this a poem and then provide examples.
STRUCTURE and POETRY
An important method of analyzing a poem is to look at the stanza structure or style of a poem. Generally speaking, structure has to do with the overall organization of lines and/or the conventional patterns of sound. Again, many modern poems may not have any identifiable structure (i.e. they are free verse), so don't panic if you can't find it!
STANZAS: Stanzas are a series of lines grouped together and separated by an empty line from other stanzas. They are the equivalent of a paragraph in an essay. One way to identify a stanza is to count the number of lines. Thus:
couplet (2 lines)
tercet (3 lines)
quatrain (4 lines)
cinquain (5 lines)
sestet (6 lines) (sometimes it's called a sexain)
septet (7 lines)
octave (8 lines)
FORM: A poem may or may not have a specific number of lines, rhyme scheme and/or metrical pattern, but it can still be labeled according to its form or style. Here are the three most common types of poems according to form:
1. Lyric Poetry: It is any poem with one speaker (not necessarily the poet) who expresses strong thoughts and feelings. Most poems, especially modern ones, are lyric poems.
2. Narrative Poem: It is a poem that tells a story; its structure resembles the plot line of a story [i.e. the introduction of conflict and characters, rising action, climax and the denouement].
3. Descriptive Poem: It is a poem that describes the world that surrounds the speaker. It uses elaborate imagery and adjectives. While emotional, it is more "outward-focused" than lyric poetry, which is more personal and introspective.
http://learn.lexiconic.net/fire.gif
In a sense, almost all poems, whether they have consistent patterns of sound and/or structure, or are free verse, are in one of the three categories above. Or, of course, they may be a combination of 2 or 3 of the above styles! Here are some more types of poems that are subtypes of the three styles above:
Ode: It is usually a lyric poem of moderate length, with a serious subject, an elevated style, and an elaborate stanza pattern.
Sonnet: It is a lyric poem consisting of 14 lines and, in the English version, is usually written in iambic pentameter. There are two basic kinds of sonnets: the Italian (or Petrarchan) sonnet and the Shakespearean (or Elizabethan/English) sonnet. The Italian/Petrarchan sonnet is named after Petrarch, an Italian Renaissance poet. The Petrarchan sonnet consists of an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). The Shakespearean sonnet consists of three quatrains (four lines each) and a concluding couplet (two lines). The Petrarchan sonnet tends to divide the thought into two parts (argument and conclusion); the Shakespearean, into four (the final couplet is the summary).
Ballad: It is a narrative poem that has a musical rhythm and can be sung. A ballad is usually organized into quatrains or cinquains, has a simple rhythm structure, and tells the tales of ordinary people.
Epic: It is a long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero.
Qualities of an Epic Poem:
narrative poem of great scope; dealing with the founding of a nation or some other heroic theme requires a dignified theme requires an organic unity requires orderly progress of the action always has a heroic figure or figures involves supernatural forces
written in deliberately ceremonial style
Other types of poems include:
Haiku: It has an unrhymed verse form having three lines (a tercet) and usually 5,7,5 syllables, respectively. It's usually considered a lyric poem.
Limerick: It has a very structured poem, usually humorous & composed of five lines (a cinquain), in an aabba rhyming pattern; beat must be anapestic (weak, weak, strong) with 3 feet in lines 1, 2, & 5 and 2 feet in lines 3 & 4. It's usually a narrative poem based upon a short and often ribald anecdote.
FIGURATIVE/CONNOTATIVE DEVICES
Simile is the rhetorical term used to designate the most elementary form of resemblances: most similes are introduced by "like" or "as." These comparisons are usually between dissimilar situations or objects that have something in common, such as "My love is like a red, red rose."
A metaphor leaves out "like" or "as" and implies a direct comparison between objects or situations. "All flesh is grass." For more on metaphor, click here.
Synecdoche is a form of metaphor, which in mentioning an important (and attached) part signifies the whole (e.g. "hands" for labour).
Metonymy is similar to synecdoche; it's a form of metaphor allowing an object closely associated (but unattached) with a object or situation to stand for the thing itself (e.g. the crown or throne for a king or the bench for the judicial system).
A symbol is like a simile or metaphor with the first term left out. "My love is like a red, red rose" is a simile. If, through persistent identification of the rose with the beloved woman, we may come to associate the rose with her and her particular virtues. At this point, the rose would become a symbol.
Allegory can be defined as a one to one correspondence between a series of abstract ideas and a series of images or pictures presented in the form of a story or a narrative. For example, George Orwell's Animal Farm is an extended allegory that represents the Russian Revolution through a fable of a farm and its rebellious animals.
Personification occurs when you treat abstractions or inanimate objects as human, that is, giving them human attributes, powers, or feelings (e.g., "nature wept" or "the wind whispered many truths to me").
Irony takes many forms. Most basically, irony is a figure of speech in which actual intent is expressed through words that carry the opposite meaning.
Paradox: usually a literal contradiction of terms or situations
Situational Irony: an unmailed letter
Dramatic Irony: audience has more information or greater perspective than the characters
Verbal Irony: saying one thing but meaning another
Overstatement (hyperbole)
Understatement (meiosis)
Sarcasm
Irony may be a positive or negative force. It is most valuable as a mode of perception that assists the poet to see around and behind opposed attitudes, and to see the often conflicting interpretations that come from our examination of life.
How to Write Poetry
Do you want to learn how to write poetry or how to improve as a poet? Would you like step-by-step advice on how to get poetry ideas and turn them into poems?
You're in the right place! Find answers to these questions:
"What should I write poems about?"
"How should I decide the right form for my poem?"
"What are common poetry problems that affect the work of new poets, and how can I avoid them?"
"People say it's not the size that matters, but what you do with it -- how does this relate to poetry?"
How to Write Poetry - Contents
**Definition of Poetry**. What is poetry, and how is it different from other types of writing? Here is CWN's take on these questions.
**Poem Structure**. How should a poem be divided into lines? ("At random" is the wrong answer to this question!) Here you'll find some better ideas about choosing the right structure for your poem.
**Poetry Meter**. What poetic meter is, and why you should care. An easy-to-understand guide to the rhythmic side of poetry.
**Rhyme Schemes**. Rhyme is an important tool in your poetry toolbox. Why do some poets intentionally choose rhymes that aren't exact? What's the rhyme scheme of a limerick? Find out here!
**How to Write a Poem - Poetry Techniques 2**. Advice on how to write well about abstractions such as Love and Death, how to choose a form for your poem, and a checklist to improve your poetry writing.
**How to Write Poems - Poetry Techniques 3**. Can you guess the most common problems which damage the work of new poets? Find out how to write poetry without falling into these traps.
**Poem Types - How to Write a Haiku**. Haiku is a Japanese poetry form which captures a moment in just a few words. Learn how to preserve your own insights and memories by writing haiku.
**Poem Types - Found Poetry**. Writing found poetry is a kind of treasure hunt. Learn to discover poetic material in surprising places and turn it into poems.
This page explains how to write a haiku poem, and offers haiku examples and prompts to inspire you. At the bottom of this page, you'll find links to more CWN pages about poetry.
At the bottom of the page, you'll find haiku examples from our visitors.
Due to a large number of poetry submissions which we are still reviewing, we are temporarily unable to accept new submissions.
What is haiku?
Haiku is a Japanese poetry form. A haiku uses just a few words to capture a moment and create a picture in the reader's mind. It is like a tiny window into a scene much larger than itself.
Traditionally, haiku is written in three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line, and five syllables in the third line.
Haiku examples
Here's a haiku poem written by a poetry student:
The last winter leaves Clinging to the black branches Explode into birds.
You can find haiku examples by our visitors at the bottom of this page.
Characteristics of haiku
The following are typical of haiku:
A focus on nature.
A "season word" such as "snow" which tells the reader what time of year it is.
A division somewhere in the poem, which focuses first on one thing, than on another. The relationship between these two parts is sometimes surprising.
Instead of saying how a scene makes him or her feel, the poet shows the details that caused that emotion. If the sight of an empty winter sky made the poet feel lonely, describing that sky can give the same feeling to the reader.
How to write a haiku - try it!
You can use the pictures lower down on this page to give you ideas. In your haiku, try to use details related to the senses -- sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste.
Or look out your window, and describe what you see. Try to "zoom in" on a small detail that contains the feeling of the larger scene.
Or follow the steps below to write a "surprise-ending haiku." This is based on an exercise from the poet Ron Patchett which is described in //The Haiku Handbook// by William J. Higginson:
Write two lines about something beautiful in nature. You can use the pictures below to give you ideas. Don't worry about counting syllables yet.
Write a third line that is a complete surprise, that is about something completely different from the first two lines.
Look at the three lines together. Does the combination of these two seemingly unrelated parts suggest any surprising relationships? Does it give you any interesting ideas?
Now rewrite the poem, using the 5-syllable, 7-syllable, 5-syllable format and experimenting with the new ideas or perspectives that have occurred to you.
The sea's crashing waves call me Soothing confusion Promising life's adventure... _ About the author: "My HAIKU explained: The wrong … **haiku poems - page 6**
One small piece of heart is mended in a moment. Rain falls, tears of joy. _ About the author: "Grace currently lives in Southern … **haiku poems - page 5**
Snowflakes are our friends, They descend when winter comes, Making white blankets. ___ About the author: "My name is Olivia and I live … **haiku poems - page 3**
Handheld face Sipping lips - drinking mouths Eyes fall, now see. **more haiku poetry**
Some of the haiku that we recently published have disappeared from the page, apparently due to a technical problem. We are very sorry about this. We are … **haiku poems**
Sun lights aspen green Clouds like tail ships sail above Brief joyous season
Select fairy tales for whole class and group reading. Be sure to include a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds in your choices. The booklist Fairy Tale Picture Books for Class Exploration offers titles that can be explored with students. Additionally, your librarian may have suggestions for titles that will work well for this lesson. As example texts, this lesson uses Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola and Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story by Robert D. San Souci, but you may substitute other titles as desired.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/poetry_engine.htm#
PBS Poetry Link!
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/poetry/
Haiku Poetry wiki:
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Haiku-Poem
Shape Poem Resource (Create and Print a Shape Poem):
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/shape/
Haiku Pattern Template
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1072/haiku_pattern.pdf
http://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/acrostic.htm
Elements of Poetry
Below are the items that make up a poem; not all items are in every poem.
To answer the writing, choose 3 elements that make this a poem and then provide examples.
STRUCTURE and POETRY
An important method of analyzing a poem is to look at the stanza structure or style of a poem. Generally speaking, structure has to do with the overall organization of lines and/or the conventional patterns of sound. Again, many modern poems may not have any identifiable structure (i.e. they are free verse), so don't panic if you can't find it!
STANZAS: Stanzas are a series of lines grouped together and separated by an empty line from other stanzas. They are the equivalent of a paragraph in an essay. One way to identify a stanza is to count the number of lines. Thus:
FORM: A poem may or may not have a specific number of lines, rhyme scheme and/or metrical pattern, but it can still be labeled according to its form or style. Here are the three most common types of poems according to form:
1. Lyric Poetry: It is any poem with one speaker (not necessarily the poet) who expresses strong thoughts and feelings. Most poems, especially modern ones, are lyric poems.
2. Narrative Poem: It is a poem that tells a story; its structure resembles the plot line of a story [i.e. the introduction of conflict and characters, rising action, climax and the denouement].
3. Descriptive Poem: It is a poem that describes the world that surrounds the speaker. It uses elaborate imagery and adjectives. While emotional, it is more "outward-focused" than lyric poetry, which is more personal and introspective.
Ode: It is usually a lyric poem of moderate length, with a serious subject, an elevated style, and an elaborate stanza pattern.
Sonnet: It is a lyric poem consisting of 14 lines and, in the English version, is usually written in iambic pentameter. There are two basic kinds of sonnets: the Italian (or Petrarchan) sonnet and the Shakespearean (or Elizabethan/English) sonnet. The Italian/Petrarchan sonnet is named after Petrarch, an Italian Renaissance poet. The Petrarchan sonnet consists of an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). The Shakespearean sonnet consists of three quatrains (four lines each) and a concluding couplet (two lines). The Petrarchan sonnet tends to divide the thought into two parts (argument and conclusion); the Shakespearean, into four (the final couplet is the summary).
Ballad: It is a narrative poem that has a musical rhythm and can be sung. A ballad is usually organized into quatrains or cinquains, has a simple rhythm structure, and tells the tales of ordinary people.
Epic: It is a long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero.
Qualities of an Epic Poem:
Other types of poems include:
Haiku: It has an unrhymed verse form having three lines (a tercet) and usually 5,7,5 syllables, respectively. It's usually considered a lyric poem.
Limerick: It has a very structured poem, usually humorous & composed of five lines (a cinquain), in an aabba rhyming pattern; beat must be anapestic (weak, weak, strong) with 3 feet in lines 1, 2, & 5 and 2 feet in lines 3 & 4. It's usually a narrative poem based upon a short and often ribald anecdote.
FIGURATIVE/CONNOTATIVE DEVICES
Irony may be a positive or negative force. It is most valuable as a mode of perception that assists the poet to see around and behind opposed attitudes, and to see the often conflicting interpretations that come from our examination of life.
How to Write Poetry
Do you want to learn how to write poetry or how to improve as a poet? Would you like step-by-step advice on how to get poetry ideas and turn them into poems?
You're in the right place! Find answers to these questions:
How to Write Poetry - Contents
**Definition of Poetry**. What is poetry, and how is it different from other types of writing? Here is CWN's take on these questions.**Poem Structure**. How should a poem be divided into lines? ("At random" is the wrong answer to this question!) Here you'll find some better ideas about choosing the right structure for your poem.
**Poetry Meter**. What poetic meter is, and why you should care. An easy-to-understand guide to the rhythmic side of poetry.
**Rhyme Schemes**. Rhyme is an important tool in your poetry toolbox. Why do some poets intentionally choose rhymes that aren't exact? What's the rhyme scheme of a limerick? Find out here!
**How to Write a Poem - Poetry Techniques 1**. A step-by-step guide on how to write poetry. Advice on what to write about, how to get started, and choosing the right words.
**How to Write a Poem - Poetry Techniques 2**. Advice on how to write well about abstractions such as Love and Death, how to choose a form for your poem, and a checklist to improve your poetry writing.
**How to Write Poems - Poetry Techniques 3**. Can you guess the most common problems which damage the work of new poets? Find out how to write poetry without falling into these traps.
**Types of Poems - How to Write a Sonnet**. A clear explanation of the sonnet form, plus poem starters for writing your own sonnet.
**Types of Poems - How to Write: Acrostic Poems, Blank Verse, Sestinas**. Explanations of these poem types with ideas for trying them yourself. Download a free poetry tool to help you write sestinas.
**Poem Types - How to Write a Narrative Poem or Ballad.**. Explanations and examples of narrative poetry. Advice on writing your own narrative poem or ballad and poetry prompts to get you started.
**Poem Types - How to Write a Limerick**. Limericks are a lot of fun to read and write. They don't have to be dirty -- that's up to you. Get started here.
**Poem Types - How to Write a Haiku**. Haiku is a Japanese poetry form which captures a moment in just a few words. Learn how to preserve your own insights and memories by writing haiku.
**Poem Types - Found Poetry**. Writing found poetry is a kind of treasure hunt. Learn to discover poetic material in surprising places and turn it into poems.
**Interview: Michael Klam on Poetry Slams**. Poet, teacher, and translator Michael Klam spoke to us about poetry slams, performance poetry, and literary translation.
**Interview: Karl Elder on Language Poetry**. Karl Elder offers his view on the limitations of language poetry and the "aesthetic of chance."
**Interview: Jessie Carty on Narrative Poems**. Jessie Carty talks about her poetic influences and her experience as the editor of a literary magazine.
How to Write a Haiku Poem:
Haiku Examples and Tips
This page explains how to write a haiku poem, and offers haiku examples and prompts to inspire you. At the bottom of this page, you'll find links to more CWN pages about poetry.At the bottom of the page, you'll find haiku examples from our visitors.
Due to a large number of poetry submissions which we are still reviewing, we are temporarily unable to accept new submissions.
What is haiku?
Haiku is a Japanese poetry form. A haiku uses just a few words to capture a moment and create a picture in the reader's mind. It is like a tiny window into a scene much larger than itself.Traditionally, haiku is written in three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line, and five syllables in the third line.
Haiku examples
Here's a haiku poem written by a poetry student:The last winter leaves
Clinging to the black branches
Explode into birds.
You can find haiku examples by our visitors at the bottom of this page.
Characteristics of haiku
The following are typical of haiku:How to write a haiku - try it!
You can use the pictures lower down on this page to give you ideas. In your haiku, try to use details related to the senses -- sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste.Or look out your window, and describe what you see. Try to "zoom in" on a small detail that contains the feeling of the larger scene.
Or follow the steps below to write a "surprise-ending haiku." This is based on an exercise from the poet Ron Patchett which is described in //The Haiku Handbook// by William J. Higginson:
Haiku examples by our visitors
Click below to see contributions from other poets.**haiku poems - page 4**
Green leaves hang from trees still and damp, moss starts to grow delicate and fresh.
**haiku poems - page 13**
warm, inviting hot chocolate deliciously floating marshmallows hits the spot!
**haiku poems - page 10**
Dreams held so dearly Shatter instantly, nightmare Reality looms
**haiku poems - page 12**
Colorful rainbow so sweet and wow through my eye how beautiful rainbows are.
**haiku poems - page 15**
High desert darkness; Illuminates the White Star; An angel awakes!
**haiku poems - page 14**
Beautiful oak Pretty fountain flowing free With thick dark red blood
**haiku poems - page 11**
slowly and softly falling swiftly to the ground lays there very still
**haiku poems - page 8**
Aspergere love peace Lavender whorls,jasmine cymose, Essence of nature!
**haiku poems - page 9**
The massive ripples Marching onto the mute shore Radiate under the sun
**haiku poems - page 7**
The sea's crashing waves call me Soothing confusion Promising life's adventure... _ About the author: "My HAIKU explained: The wrong …
**haiku poems - page 6**
One small piece of heart is mended in a moment. Rain falls, tears of joy. _ About the author: "Grace currently lives in Southern …
**haiku poems - page 5**
Snowflakes are our friends, They descend when winter comes, Making white blankets. ___ About the author: "My name is Olivia and I live …
**haiku poems - page 3**
Handheld face Sipping lips - drinking mouths Eyes fall, now see.
**more haiku poetry**
Some of the haiku that we recently published have disappeared from the page, apparently due to a technical problem. We are very sorry about this. We are …
**haiku poems**
Sun lights aspen green Clouds like tail ships sail above Brief joyous season
Haiku Photo Prompts
A Fairytale Resource:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/fairytales_discovering.htm
WEBSITES from www.readwritethink.org
PREPARATION from www.readwritethink.org
- Select fairy tales for whole class and group reading. Be sure to include a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds in your choices. The booklist Fairy Tale Picture Books for Class Exploration offers titles that can be explored with students. Additionally, your librarian may have suggestions for titles that will work well for this lesson. As example texts, this lesson uses Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola and Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story by Robert D. San Souci, but you may substitute other titles as desired.
- Make copies of the handouts for students: Common Elements of Fairy Tales, Common Fairy Tale Situations, Fairy Tale Peer Review, Reflective Journal Instructions, and Fairy Tale Feedback.
Lyrical Poetryhttp://volweb.utk.edu/school/bedford/harrisms/lyrical.htm
The Concepts of Comprehension©
A powerful tool for teaching your students how to read for meaning
http://www.weeklyreader.com/conceptsofcomprehension
Weekly Reader materials incorporate a set of inferential thinking skills known as the Concepts of Comprehension©. This framework of 21 Concepts was developed by a not-for-profit educational organization, Urban Education Exchange (UEE), as a means of helping educators teach reading-comprehension skills-explicitly, simply, and clearly.
Teaching students how to infer meaning from text is the foundation of good reading-comprehension instruction. The research-based Concepts provide a clear and consistent structure that makes it possible to teach these essential skills across all grade levels.
Weekly Reader editions 1, 2, 3, and 4-6 include ideas about how to discuss and use the Concepts with students. Each digital edition of those publications specifically highlight one Concept, and activities in the student editions and Teacher's Guides also reinforce the Concepts.
Concept by Concept
Here are the definitions of the 21 Concepts. Most are taught across all grades. A few—such as Pronoun Reference—are pedagogically necessary only in early grades. Others—such as Point of View—are appropriate only for later grades.
Explicit Information is information that can be clearly found "right there" in the text.
Drawing Conclusions is when you figure out what a text means by using what you already know and information from the text.
Vocabulary in Context means figuring out the meaning of a word by looking at the words and sentences around it.
Figurative Language refers to words that mean something other than what they say.
Genre is a type of text, such as fiction or nonfiction.
Sequence is the order of events or steps in a text.
Character refers to the looks, traits, thoughts, actions, and relationships of a person or animal in a text.
Setting tells you where and when a story takes place.
Plot is the events that make up the main story of a text.
Cause & Effect: Cause is the reason why something happens. Effect is what happens as a result.
Predicting is deciding what will most likely happen next in what you are reading.
Main Idea is the big idea in a text. It tells you what the text is mostly about.
Text Features are words and pictures that help organize and highlight information. Examples include headlines, photographs, and captions.
Classify & Categorize: Categorize is when you gather together information that is the same or almost the same. Classify is when you give that information a name.
Fact & Opinion: Fact is information that someone can prove true or false. Opinion is what someone believes about a subject.
Compare & Contrast: Comparing is noticing how two or more things are alike. Contrasting is noticing how they are different.
Pronoun Reference means connecting the pronouns in a sentence to the nouns to which they refer.
Point of View is the viewpoint from which a story is told to the reader.
Voice is how an author expresses his or her personality or attitude through language.
Author's Purpose is the reason why an author has written a text for readers.
Theme is the message that an author is trying to share with the reader.
We welcome your feedback about your experience with the Concepts of Comprehension. Send your comments to editor@weeklyreader.com.
Easier Poem Units
High School Level Poem Units